Of Love and Death
by Winter Yuy
Summary: She had cared for his injuries and he felt he owed her an eternal debt, but she didn't see it that way. Neither of them knew that it would come down to this. Their lives were destined to be littered with death and blood. [Follows canon story line. ItachixOC with canon couples. Rating due to increase with future chapters.]
1. Chapter 1

**AN** : Naruto is owned by Kishimoto. I only hold rights to the characters you don't recognize. Big thanks to my coworker, Justin, for the help. Hope you enjoy!

-0-

 **Chapter 1**

 _See the mirror in your eyes  
See the truth behind the lies  
Your lies are haunting me_

 _See the reason in your eyes  
Giving answer to the why  
Your eyes are haunting me_

\- Armin van Buren, "In and Out of Love"

-0-

The sun glistened off the edge of the blade of the kunai that lay forgotten amongst the tall weeds of the grassy plain. Close by sat its owner, propped up against a tree. His arms lay limp at his sides, palms to the sky with fingers caked in old blood. The man wore battle garments consistent with that of a highly ranking scout from the Earth Nation. From the signs of it, it seemed as though some delusion must have come over him, forcing him to claw his own throat out to escape.

A gentle breeze rolled through the plain, shifting and tumbling the stocks of the weeds and tall grass. Suddenly, the grotesque truth shown through the deceitfully graceful area. Scattered around the scout were the diced, mangled, and charred remains of nearly six other men and women; each wearing the same battle garments as the man against the tree. The wind calmed, once again lifting the peaceful veil.

-0-

Leaves crunched under the weight of sandals as two figures emerged from the thin forest bordering the Grass and Earth nations. A tall, odd looking man with blue skin and spiky hair carrying a large, crude weapon wrapped in bandages stood beside a shorter man whom could be no older than seventeen or eighteen with straight black hair and pale black eyes that carried a dead and overly serious look in them. They both wore similar cloaks, jet black with red clouds scattered around, and had headbands with symbols scratched out on their foreheads. The area they had emerged to find was the edge of a cliff-face overlooking a small town at its basin.

"I really wish you would help me when we get ambushed like that. It's a real pain sometimes." Spoke the taller, blue-skinned man.

"It was your own fault that they saw us," the shorter man's voice was flat and cold.

The blue man rubbed his neck and frowned with his lip-less, razor-toothed mouth. "People are starting to recognize us. We need to start using a different path. I really don't understand your fascination with this little shithole."

The shorter man had already begun removing his coat and headband, and was in the process of packing them tightly into a sack he had slung around his shoulder. He wore crude and tattered battle garments with no clear distinction as to a faction. He pulled out plainer clothes and began to change.

"Good idea," spoke the blue man, who began to do the same. "Wouldn't be wise to get noticed again, would it?" He smiled wryly and looked up, seeing no trace of his companion. "Itachi-san? Where the hell? Itachi-san, wait up, dammit!"

-0-

The town, Two Points, was small, and couldn't possibly hold more than two hundred or so inhabitants. It was named after the only two ways in and out of the town. Aside from a few rice farms the only real attractions were a small inn with a stew house built in, and a lazily flowing water lily filled river that ran through its center, which was a rarity in this part of the world. Itachi and his blue-skinned companion, Kisame, headed straight for the stew-house and found a table.

Kisame shuffled with aggravation while trying to break apart a pair of chopsticks as the stew pot boiled in the center of their table.

"Even in plain clothes we attract a lot of attention," he muttered under his breath while inspecting the chop sticks that seemed to not want to break apart.

"You can't blame them for staring. You look like you should be a part of the stew, not eating it."

"EHH?!" Kisame exclaimed loudly as he broke the chopsticks apart and stabbed them into the table. The stew house hushed. Multiple pairs of eyes were now locked on the odd duo. A vain bulged in Kisame's head before he noticed the attention he had drawn. He smiled awkwardly, grabbing his neck and waved off the attention from the on-lookers while apologizing. His shifted an irritated look towards Itachi afterwards.

"On the rare occasion that you do speak you never miss an opportunity to be an ass, ya know that?"

Itachi filled his bowl with rice and stew without paying Kisame any mind or bothering with a response.

-0-

 _CRASH!_

Dishes fell and broke apart behind the curtain leading to the kitchen. Behind it stood a very worried looking girl around the age of seventeen. She was skinny and fragile looking, but not skin and bone. She seemed to have lead a life of poverty. She had purple, curly hair that fell messily around her neck and collar bones, and bore a strange insignia on her forehead that obviously had been attempted to be hidden under her disheveled bangs.

 _Oh no. Not again._ Worried amethyst eyes peered down at the accident she had just caused. _Without my glasses I can't see, and-_

"Dammit, Atsuko! How many times have I told you to pull your hair back into a bun when working! That's the third stack of plates you've broken this week from bumping into a wall!"

The girl turned to face the angry chef and bowed while blushing nervously. "I am very sorry, Hideki-san! I didn't mean to! It won't happen ah-"

"Save your breath, Atsuko. You're lucky I knew your father so well. I can't let that younger brother of yours starve and I owe it to Danto for enlisting in the Corps in my old ass place. I won't fire you, JUST BE MORE CAREFUL!"

"Thank you, Hideki-san!"

"Yeah yeah, too kind for my own good. Here, take some more tea to table twelve. We have a couple of travelers tonight."

"Yes, sir!"

The chef sighed as the girl grabbed the tea kettle and two cups and scurried off.

-0-

Kisame and Itachi sat with their hands clasped over their meals in some sort of silent prayer or meditation when Atsuko approached with their tea. She held her head down and placed the two cups beside their plates and poured Kisame's glass. She began to pour Itachi's when she looked up and saw him. Her face flushed red again.

"Eh?! It-, It-" the tea was missing the cup entirely. Itachi silently pushed the cup under the flow, and lifted the lip of the kettle to halt it.

"That's enough, thank you." The girl, flustered and speechless, nodded and backed away while completely red faced. She heard the man's blue skinned companion laugh loudly.

"What I wouldn't give to have the effect on the ladies some days! Hahahahhahaha! If only you'd learn how to use that charm of yours!"

-0-

The day turned to night and the pair of travelers found themselves in a dimly lit inn room. Kisame sat sharpening his teeth with a kunai while Itachi meditated silently. It was a pathetic little room with nothing to offer except two futons and a table between the two with a pair of candles for light.

"Ya know, Itachi-san, this place does have its charm, and I'm not complaining about having a roof over me from time to time, but do you really think it's smart to keep staying-aah! Shhhhhhhhiii-ettetettt" Kisame's kunai landed on the ground beside him with a dab of blood of its tip.

"It's a sign."

Kisame removed his hand from in front of his mouth. "A sign? Of what?"

"That you talk too much."

A vain bulged in Kisame's head; however, this time he kept his comment to himself and went back to sharpening his teeth. Itachi stood up without a word and exited through the sliding door with the grace of a feline. Kisame's followed with his eyes before resting back against the wall.

 _That damn Itachi._

-0-

Kisame opened his eyes begrudgingly and popped his sore back and neck. He had fallen asleep against the wall. He looked around the room slowly and saw no signs of his comrade. Judging by the darkness outside he deducted that he hadn't been asleep for too long. He quickly packed his stuff and slung his crude weapon over his back. He was going to figure this out right now. He quickly exited the room, making his way into the veil of darkness. It didn't take long for Kisame to find Itachi, but the difficult part was going to be hiding within range to still eavesdrop effectively.

In the center of the village was a giant, arched bridge that went over the small river. Itachi was leaning against the rail with a solemn look on his face. Standing next to him was a girl with mid-length purple hair wearing an evening coat and slacks. She came up to Itachi's shoulder and was peering up at him with an uneasy expression on her round face.

"It-Itachi... I couldn't... I can't."

Kisame cupped his hand around where his ear should be and grinned. _Ohhh? What can't you do, little miss? Wait…is that the waitress from earlier_?

"No! I can't! Danto is already getting suspicious!"

A slight blush made its way across Kisame's face as he listened to the young girl's shy voice. He leaned forward to hear better. This was getting interesting.

"He's already asked me once where the money is coming from..."

 _Ohhooho! Itachi-san, you dog!_ The former Mist Village ninja wasn't one to be considered a ladies man. He preferred to eat anything he found interesting and that was made of flesh and blood. So, instead of focusing on his lack of sexual activities he found he enjoyed being a voyeur of sorts.

Besides, black mail was always useful especially if it was against Uchiha Itachi.

"I got the job at the stew house to pay for my little brother's medicine. Hideki-san pays well, I promise."

Disappointment slapped Kisame across the face like a sack of bricks. He sighed and hung his head for a second. This was it?!

"At least take it and get your glasses fixed, Atsuko. How long have you gone without them?"

"Four months. It happened right after you left last time, but I can't take your money again, Itachi. You don't owe me anything. Oniichan is getting angrier every time I turn up with a mysterious sum of money."

"His pride will lead to the deaths of both you and Yuhta."

A moment passed before Atsuko said anything in response. Kisame's arm began to feel numb.

Atsuko placed her head on Itachi's shoulder, re-sparking Kisame's interest. "Do... Do you care for me, Itachi?"

"I owe a great deal to you."

Atsuko shook her head and sighed. "When I found you bleeding in that alley, I told you then that you didn't owe me anything, and that's not what I asked." Atsuko lifted her head and stared at the flowing of the water. "You don't have to answer. Your visits are getting farther and farther apart. I don't know what kind of wares you sell, but each time you visit me I can't help but think...to think how wonderful it would be if you stayed...if...if you.."

Itachi silenced the girl by putting a finger to her lips. "It's getting late, Atsuko. Let me walk you home."

Kisame sighed and put his hands behind his head as the pair turned and made their way off the bridge. He didn't hear anything he had hoped for and that pissed him off. Frowning, he stood up, wiping the grass off his pants, and made his way back to the little shithole inn. He had to get at least some sleep.

-0-

"Thank you for walking me home, but it wasn't really necessary." Atsuko stood outside the door to her home with her companion at her side. As usual, Itachi didn't respond with words. It was a shame that her glasses were broken. She couldn't see his face very well especially in the darkness.

"Oniichan should be returning in a couple of weeks."

"I will be gone by then."

"Oh…" She hung her head low in disappointment, but it was probably for the better that he left. Her older brother, despite knowing nothing about him, disliked Itachi very much. Danto found the man untrustworthy and deceptive. She had managed to keep the meetings and visits a secret for several years, but she knew he was bound to find out.

As long as she was able to keep her younger brother's mouth shut it would remain a secret.

"You need to get inside, Atsuko. There's a chill in the air."

"Yes, I suppose I do," she was sad to see him go. She took in a deep breath and lifted her head, smiling at him like she always did. "I hope to see you soon, then. Good luck with your travels."

She knew there would be no response, but when he placed his hand on her head and let it slowly move down to her cheek her heart almost stopped. The clouds had moved and the light from the full moon allowed her to be able to see his face. It was the same as always, but his eyes…there was a softness in his eyes that she couldn't explain. The warmth coming from his hand spread through her whole body. Her knees were shaking from the sheer force of emotions running through. It wasn't possible to even describe them. She didn't know how much time had passed, but to her it didn't matter. All that mattered was the moment…this one moment of affection.

The warmth was gone as quickly as it seemed to have came. Itachi turned away from her and made his way back to the inn. Atsuko stood outside of her home and watched him until her lack of eyesight allowed her to not seem him anymore. With a sigh of defeat she slid open the door to her home trying to make as little noise as possible.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

"ONEECHAAAAAAN!"

Atsuko jumped at least a foot into the air. "Yuhta! What are you doing out of bed?!"

"What were you doin', oneechan? Huh?"

"Yuhta, go to—"

"You were with Itachi-san again, weren't you?!"

The purple haired girl sighed in defeat as she watched her younger brother bounce up to her with a big grin on his face.

It was going to be a long night.

-0-

The sun had barely cusped the mountain ranges when the two Akatsuki members had risen from their sleep. Kisame was freshening up with the basin of water in their shithole of a room when he spoke.

"Itachi-san, we need to head out. Crag Valley is another two week's travel north of here."

Itachi sat against an exterior wall of their inn room nose deep in a book with no markings or indications of its contents on the cover.

"We have to find information on the four tails' whereabouts before winter. It's already fall."

"Don't you think it's strange the amount of scouts on the edge of the Earth and Grass?"

Kisame blinked for a moment. "Strange? There were what, seven of them?"

"Nine." The prodigy turned a page without tearing his eyes away from the content.

"It is about twice the size of a normal scouting troupe, I agree." The shark man dried his hands off with a towel. His beady eyes turned towards his companion.

"What would you say they were doing?"

"I don't know...about to split and survey a greater area?"

"For what purpose?"

"Does it matter? It doesn't affect us. It doesn't matter what some Iwagakure scum were up to."

"They've been tracking us."

"Let them come! I'll rip them to shreds as well!" Kisame's teeth glistened in the sunlight as he sneered.

"We need to give it a few days. Let our trail run cold."

"Are you certain they won't come here looking?"

"I laid out a decoy camp site a few miles down the river. It'll look like we circled around to avoid the village."

"Where was I when you did this?"

"I'm not your keeper."

Kisame growled at Itachi's statement, but he knew the truth in them. It wasn't the first time they had to hide in plain sight like this whilst passing through a nation.

"So, just what the hell are we supposed to do for two days?" Itachi didn't answer. He instead licked his thumb and loudly turned the page in his book. Kisame ruffled his hair in aggravation and grabbed his coat. "I'm going out for a bite. You do...whatever you're doing."

-0-

Two days passed slowly. Itachi kept locked up in the inn, only leaving for food and to spy on his would-be woman, until the night of their scheduled departure. Kisame had not mentioned to Itachi what he had overheard, but it really didn't pester him too much to do so. It pissed him off more than anything, in fact, how Itachi had handled that situation in its entirety. He pictured how he might have handled it if some random female had been hanging on to him on that bridge. He grinned and blushed. His thoughts became more and more perverse until Itachi said something to wake him from his delusions.

"Stop staring at me."

Kisame had been staring and grinning at Itachi the entire time they were walking without realizing it. "Don't flatter yourself!" _Shit_ , he thought to himself, n _ow he's going to think...ugh. No_. Kisame looked up and found himself staring at a small shack in the middle of the village. "Saying farewell to someone?"

Itachi ignored him and rapped on the door three times. Silence followed.

"Don't think anyone's home." Kisame exclaimed annoyingly. A few moments later the door slowly, and with much difficulty, slid open. A young, sickly boy stood facing the two men. His eyes were small and grey. His skin was pale and covered in beads of sweat. He wore a simple gown usually reserved for intensive care patients. His face had all the signs of a fever and his deep purple hair clung to his forehead.

"Itachi-san?!" The boy's face lit up like a fire cracker as he propelled himself forwards and clung to Itachi's leg. "What are you doing here? I thought you left!"

"Yuhta, where is your sister?"

"Atsuko had to go to work early today. Hideki-san came and took her early, saying they had stuff to prepare for. Oh!" The boy spun 180 degrees and stumbled inside at a great speed. He came back a few moments later with a small square box wrapped in a purple cloth. "Oneechan was making this for you this morning, I think. She forgot it when Hideki-san showed up!"

Kisame smiled wryly as Itachi took the box from the boy. "A bento box, huh? That's real sweet of her."

Itachi shot a glare towards Kisame. He then reached inside of his red cloud-splattered cloak and withdrew a small package. "Make sure this reaches Atsuko."

Yuhta saluted Itachi and smiled wide. "Yes, sir! You can count on me!"

"Get some rest. You need to gather your strength."

Yuhta rubbed the back of his neck and produced a big smile. "I'm always resting! But okay, thank you for visiting, Itachi-san! Best of luck with sales this month!"

Itachi shut the sliding door to the home and the pair turned and left. They circled behind the village, headed up the cliff, and made their way north and to their destination leaving the little town of Two Points behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

-0-

 _Come wet a widow's eye  
Cover the night with your love  
Dry the rain from my beaten face  
Drink the wine the red sweet taste of mine_

Come cover me with you  
For the thrill  
till you will take me in  
Come comfort me in you  
Young love must  
Live twice only for us

-"Come Cover Me" by Nightwish

-0-

Atsuko knew that, without a doubt, her cheeks were flushed when she woke up. Even though there was a chill in the morning air her body was hot, as if she had a fever. She rolled over onto her side and sat up in bed, peering down at the glasses on her nightstand. Her heart skipped a beat.

 _Itachi…_

She had met the ebon haired man when she was fourteen. It had been raining that night. She was on her way back from the apothecary with medicine for her younger brother when she saw something in the alley way. Even though she had an immense fear of storms she had decided to investigate. She knew her older brother would have gotten on to her because she wasn't a trained or skilled ninja. She knew the basics of how to defend herself, but she had no skills in ninjutsu or taijutsu.

The closer she had gotten she realized that it was a person…a very handsome person. His dark hair had clung to his face because of the rain and he was hunched against a wall. When she knelt down next to him to see if he was alive, the man's eyes had popped up. It was in an instant that he had had her pinned against the wall, a hand over her mouth with a kunai to her throat. When the man had realized she was no threat he slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

" _Who are you?"_

" _A-Atsuko."_

" _Where am I?"_

" _The town of Two Points just outside of Iwagakure."_

" _Land of Earth, huh…?"_

" _Sir?"_

He had lost consciousness shortly after that, slumping against her shoulder. That's when she had noticed the stranger was bleeding from his abdomen. Atsuko didn't really remember how she had managed to drag him all the way to her small house, but she did. When she had arrived home and opened the door both of her brothers panicked at the site of her. Her elder brother had taken the stranger from her arms and proceeded to chastise her for bringing a stranger into their home.

Atsuko remembered how she had begged her brother to let the man stay there so he could get help. Their small town didn't have a medic nin on hand, but her brother was a member of the Explosion Corps of Iwagakure so he had basic medical knowledge on how to clean and tend to the wounded.

" _Dammit, Atsuko, you're too kind. How do you know this man isn't a murderer? Look at his wounds! He couldn't have sustained those by just passing through the village!"_

" _But oniichan, he's hurt. We can't just ignore someone in need of help!"_

Her elder brother, Danto, had argued for a minute longer before he gave in, tending to the wounded man. The next morning when she had been serving breakfast for her family the man gotten out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. He was pale from blood loss and looked weary. Danto had gotten up from his seat at the table and had helped the man sit down. He didn't hesitate to immediately start question the injured man about how he had been wounded.

" _I'm a traveling merchant. I was attacked last night by some rouge ninja. I thank you for your hospitality and tending to my wounds, but I must be going."_

She insisted to the man that he stay another night so his wounds wouldn't reopen, but despite her efforts he departed that morning with a promise to return their hospitality. After he had left, Danto sipped his tea and voiced that he didn't trust the man. Yuhta said that he thought the man was kind. Atsuko had quickly gotten up from her place at the table and gathered up a small amount of food from the table. Her brother had been yelling at her to stop what she was doing, but she had already gotten out the door and chased the man down. He was at the edge of the town, one of the two points, before she had caught up with him. She had called out to the man and he turned around slowly a blank expression on her face.

" _What is it?"_

" _It isn't much, but I want you to have this. I'm not sure when you had your last meal, but you look like you haven't eaten in days."_

The look he had given her was questionable, but he took the box anyway with the promise to, once again, repay her for her and her family's hospitality.

Atusko smiled at the fond memories while she dressed for work. That had been two years ago and ever since then Itachi had always returned to Two Points. Sometimes his visits were close together, but as of late he had been by very few times. She had seen him yesterday for the first time in four months, and the length between visits worried her. She didn't know where his travels took him, but it unnerved her.

While she was at work yesterday Yuhta had come into the tea house and handed her a small, wrapped package. Yuhta had said that the traveling man had come by looking for her, but when he realized she wasn't there he had given the gift to her younger brother with the promise it would delivered it to her. Her hands shook nervously as she opened the gift. When she saw that it was a new pair of glasses she smiled and tears collected in her eyes. A brief note was also wrapped with them.

" _I will return in a months' time. Don't break these."_

She looked in the mirror and smiled at herself. Her last pair of glasses had been big and round, taking up most of her face, but the ones that Itachi gave her were smaller and squared shaped and were not as big as the last. She ran a finger down the frame of the glasses.

 _Itachi_.

She loved him. He invaded her thoughts, her dreams. His presence was enough to send her body spiraling into feelings and sensations that were unknown to her. His scent overrode everything and took her over. She knew that he at least cared for her a little, but she knew that her feelings as a whole were one-sided. He felt she owed a debt to her and that was as far as their relationship went. The very minute she thought that she was over her feelings for him he would always show up with a gift or sum of money to give her. She tried to hate him sometimes, but knew that it would never be possible.

Atsuko slapped her cheeks to bring herself back to reality. She had to push those thoughts out of her mind and concentrate on the day's task. Her older brother was supposed to be returning home after being gone for two months. She had to make sure that the house was tidy and dinner was prepared when he arrived. She also had to go into the market to get the food to cook and her younger brother's medicine.

She walked out of her bedroom with her chest out and head held high. She was going to get through this even if all she could see was the face of the man that haunted her dreams.

-0-

Nine days had passed since they left Two Points Village. They had made their trek all the way to Crag Valley before turning and heading back through a different route. Strapped to Kisame's back was a large summoning scroll that they had obtained as part of their mission. As they crept from rock formation to rock formation, Kisame turned his head towards Itachi.

"It's been bothering me, but what is your connection to those people?" Itachi's face remained cold. "Fine, don't tell me."

The seventeen year old made a sound of annoyance. "The girl…she found me after a careless mistake had left me badly injured in a foreign land."

"Careless mistake? Uchiha Itachi? What kind of mistake?"

"I was running from the Explosion Corps. News had spread of the slaughter of my family and I had been recognized."

"And they got you? Not quite the Itachi-san I know back then were you?"

"The fed me and dressed my wounds. I owe them an eternal debt."

"And of the girl?"

"She is the one who found me."

"And did you find her?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Kisame sighed. "Of course you don't. Your physical prowess is only surpassed by your naïveté and inexperience with women."

Itachi made no comment as the pair continued to slip through the shadows. A moment of silence passed before Kisame spoke again. Itachi wanted to stab his companion with a kunai.

"She calls you by your name with no honorifics, which you allow. She apparently means something to you."

-0-

"Where did this money come from?" Boomed a powerful voice from the inside the small home that Atsuko and her brothers shared. Danto was tall and strong, a stark comparison to his younger siblings. His skin was tanned and ivory, his hair purple and pulled back into a ponytail, and his family marking blocked by a head protector baring the symbol for Hidden Stone Village. He stood, furiously, over a package laying on their table that had been ripped open to reveal a large sum of money.

"I-I've been working, oniichan!" Exclaimed Atsuko.

"He pays you this much?! Where did it really come from?!"

"Itachi-san gave it to her!" Cried Yuhta, whom had just entered the small kitchen through the drape that separated it from his room. "Oneechan did nothing wrong!"

"'Itachi'? Who is he? No one from this village has that last name."

Atsuko blushed feverishly and hid her face while trying to think of a comment. Yuhta smiled proudly and pointed to her. "He's her boyfriend! They're gonna get married!"

Danto's arms unfolded as his eyes opened wide. His chest rose several inches before he barreled out a large 'WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!' That shook the small home.

"No, we aren't, and no, he isn't!" Atsuko finally managed to say through flushed and scarlet cheeks.

The steam coming from Danto's ears was nearly visible as he fumed vehemently and paced around the room for a moment to calm down. "I've been gone two months on an assignment. _Two months_. That's not long enough to get to know ANYONE that well! He must be new to the village. Where is he from? Where does he live? What does he do?"

Yuhta climbed on top of the table with difficulty and beamed once more. "He's a traveling merchant!"

Atsuko quickly grabbed the little boy in a fit of panic and carried him off to his room. Danto was about to explode with rage. It was best to hide out and wait until his anger had passed.

Sometime later the three sat around their table enjoying a simple meal of soup and bread. The hostility from earlier had dissolved into an uncomfortable tension.

"Traveling merchant, huh?"

"Yes."

"He isn't that boy you brought home a few years ago...is he?"

Atsuko found it difficult to swallow. She couldn't lie. This wasn't going as she had planned and she knew it wasn't going to end well. "Yes, he is..."

"What's his last name? What family does he come from?"

"I don't know. I've never asked about it."

"And you're sure all of this isn't some sort of scam or plot to get into you're...ahem...are...his intentions...?"

Atsuko slammed her hands on the table and bowed her head. "I-if you'll excuse me!"

Danto raised his hand to his mouth uncomfortably and coughed. "I apologize. You're my little sister. I need to protect you. I will keep those questions to myself."

"You don't need to protect me! I'm grown!"

"You're still my little sister just as Yuhta is my little brother!" Yuhta raised his face from his bowl and grinned. Prices of bread and potato slid from his soup covered face as he did so. "Eh...Yuhta, here wipe yourself off." Danto produced a napkin and attempted to clean the young boys face. He sighed and continued.

"I can't help but get a bad feeling from that boy, Atsuko. The night you found him with those injuries made no sense to me. He could easily be a spy from another village and not a merchant. It's a part of a ninja's _kyo mon_ to learn as much as they can about everything that they can so that they can assume any role in society with ease."

She shifted uncomfortably from her seat, "I know, oniichan."

Danto continued his speech, "The ninja are trained in _hensojutsu_ , the art of disguise and impersonation. He could assume the role of a doctor or an uneducated rice planter and you would never be the wiser."

"Stop patronizing me! I know all of this! You've drilled it into my head long enough!" She wanted to cry. "I just want us to have a nice family evening. Is that too much to ask?"

"I'm sorry, Atsuko." Danto's eyes softened at this younger sister and brother. "Look, they scheduled me for another mission. I leave tomorrow night."

"But you just got home! When will you be back?"

"Oniichan is leaving again?! No fair!" Yuhta cried out

"I don't know when I'll be back." Danto sat back against his seat and folded up the ruined napkin. "It could be a couple of days, maybe longer. It's my first S class mission. I need you two to take care of yourselves while I'm gone."

Atsuko and Yuhta smiled at him through held back tears. "What's the worst that could happen? We manage fine with or without you home, but that doesn't mean we don't love or miss you while you're away."

He leaned his head back and sighed while putting his hand on his forehead. "I know, I'm just worrying too much, I suppose."

-0-

The doors to the Tsuchikage's office flew open as two scouts quickly entered. They got on opposite sides of his desk and knelt. A third person, a sleek woman in distinguished robes, entered the room following them. She carried a scroll and pen. The Tsuchikage turned to face her. He was a tiny old man with a big wart filled nose and grey hair where hair remained.

"Any news, Iwa?"

"Yes, Sandaime-sama. The troops have located a camp site near the village, as well as a few farther down leading away."

"Trickery. It confirms our suspicions that they were taking refuge there. To think that proud Iwagakure denizens would hide people of their ilk. It pains me. The campsites are likely fake."

"That is what or scouts have deduced. It is likely that they still reside within the village. What would you have us do, Sandaime-sama?"

The Tsuchikage clenched his fists and sat in silence for a moment. "Are there any of our shinobi within the village?"

"I made sure to send the only one we had there off on assignment yesterday. He should be gone by now."

"Gather the Explosion Corps. Dress them like the monsters we hunt, and have them attack the village." The two scouts on either side of the woman opened their eyes in shock and gasped. The one on the far left, Nodahamaru, sat up.

"Excuse my rudeness, Sandaime-sama, but these are our people!"

Onoki shot him a death glare. "Anyone willing to harbor Akatsuki members are no people of mine. Iwa, ensure the Explosion Corps receive these orders. I expect the attack to happen tomorrow night. Do not hold back. Flesh out The Uchiha and the Demon Swordsman and bring me their heads."

Iwa Shinzune smiled wryly, pushing up her glasses cloaking her eyes in shadow and nodded, "Yes, Sandaime-sama."

-0-

"We're taking this path back again? This is more frequent than usual. Forget to get your farewell kiss?"

Itachi ignored Kisame's remark as per usual, and kept focus on making good time. The scrolls attached to Kisame's back contained a sample of left over chakra from the Four Tails, and they needed to get it back to base as soon as possible. Something felt off however. It had been nearly a full three weeks since they had left, but something deep inside Itachi's gut was telling him to return to that town. Kisame had spent this entire time trying to antagonize Itachi, yet suddenly stopped and looked ahead.

"Smell that?"

The pair came to a stop near the edge of the cliff that overlooked the Iwagakure side of Two Points Village. They were not close enough yet however to see over the cliff's edge.

"Smells like fire." Kisame remarked coldly. The pair walked slowly to the edge of the cliff and looked down. Two Points Village was burning. A containment jutsu had been cast over it preventing the billowing acrid smoke clouds from escaping into the air, instead enclosing the village in a black swirling pearl. Not much could be seen through the thick blackness of the containment, but the smell was unmistakable.

Burning human flesh.

"That's not something you see every day. Well, in our line of work I suppose we do see this a little regularly. Every other day almost. Wouldn't you say, Itachi-san?" Kisame looked to his side. "Itachi-san?"

Itachi was nowhere to be seen.

"God dammit."


End file.
